Chapter 127: Laskampori Trading Market
Hans Back exhaled his last puff of smoke and casually dropped the cigarette butt onto the sand beside him. A gust of dry wind blew past, swiftly burning it down to nothing.
Feeling his throat a bit parched, Hans Back opened his canteen and took another small sip of water to moisten his throat.
After about four or five minutes, everyone rose, gathered their gear, and climbed back onto the camel saddles, resuming their dull, monotonous patrol.
The East African colony's camels are single-humped, primarily from the Middle East and North Africa. Single-humped camels adapt best to desert environments, especially tropical deserts. They can go months without drinking (mostly obtaining moisture from plants), and can survive a week even without food or water.
By contrast, double-humped camels are mainly distributed in the Far East and Central Asia, suited to deserts, the Gobi, and grasslands. Compared to single-humped camels, they are more cold-resistant.
Each type has its strengths. Double-humped camels handle heavy loads well and have strong endurance, whereas single-humped camels are better for riding and can run faster.
…
"Captain, look ahead—is that someone moving?" Heinz asked Hans Back.
They hadn't traveled very far before Heinz noticed a moving black line in the expanse of sand.
Hans Back squinted in the direction Heinz indicated. Indeed, on the distant stretch of desert, there was a black silhouette slowly heading into Kenyan territory.
Hans Back raised his binoculars, and the far-off scene was instantly magnified. A closer look confirmed it was a group in Arab dress crossing the boundary.
"Brothers, prepare for battle. Take out your guns," Hans Back ordered.
The entire team instantly tensed. They all removed the rifles from their backs, unwrapped the cloth strips, and held them at the ready.
Hans Back urged his camel forward at a trot, leading his men in pursuit of the Arabs ahead.
"Stop! Who are you people?" Hans Back demanded, blocking their path.
Somalia has Arabs and Black Africans. Had they been Black Africans, Hans Back would not have been so polite—usually, he would have fired a warning shot to intimidate them first.
But Arabs were different. Arabs in Africa mainly engage in commerce, and East Africa itself does business with them, so the colony is relatively friendly toward Arab traders.
Even in the case of the Zanzibar Sultanate, although there was some "minor friction" between them, Ernst never spoke of wiping them out entirely. Zanzibar Island was left to the Sultanate—Zanzibar Island being its core territory—something of a generous gesture.
The Arabs looked baffled at Hans Back's question, as they did not share a common language.
Heinz stepped forward and repeated Hans Back's words in Arabic.
Only then did the Arabs comprehend. Heinz had previously worked in Dar es Salaam, so he could speak some Arabic and Swahili.
"My friends, we're an Arab caravan traveling south for trade. May we know what authority you represent?" The leader of the Arab traders addressed Hans Back.
Unlike inland African tribes, Arabs are far more worldly. These traveling merchants, in particular, could instantly recognize the formidable weapons Hans Back and his men carried, so they were quite respectful.
"We are the patrol of the Hechingen East Africa Royal Territory, ordered to patrol this land to prevent illegal crossing," Hans Back replied.
"Hechingen East Africa Royal Territory? So you're the nation neighboring the Zanzibar Sultanate to the south?" asked the Arab merchant.
"Yes, that's correct. Now, tell me where you're headed and what business you have," Hans Back demanded.
Once the other party's identity became clear, the Arab merchant grew even more respectful. In recent years, the Arab world had seriously declined—even the Ottoman Empire was barely able to stand. The Indian Ocean was nearly a "bathtub" for various European powers.
"My name is Aikaram, and I'm in charge of this caravan. We come from Hama (Mogadishu), heading south to trade with local tribes, mainly purchasing medicinal herbs and other specialties."
"Is that so!" Hans Back relaxed a little. He turned to Aikaram and said, "There's no need for you to keep going south."
"Why do you say that, sir?" Aikaram asked, seeking more information.
"It's because all southern lands already belong to the Hechingen East Africa Royal Territory. Whether those tribes still exist or not is unknown. You might as well go back now—maybe you can still avoid unnecessary losses."
"Sir, why would you say so?" Aikaram pressed, concerned.
"These areas are fully under our control. No external forces—natives, merchants, tribes—are allowed in. That's an order from the East African colonial government. When you return, you can pass that along to the others—let them know there's no need to come here," Hans Back replied.
Hearing this, Aikaram grew anxious. He could handle losing out on this single deal—they hadn't traveled too far yet. But if there were no business to be done in the future, that would mean losing his livelihood!
Though flustered, Aikaram still spoke politely, "Officer, we're just small-time merchants surviving off this trade route. If you cut it off, how can we possibly make a living?"
Hans Back was about to force them out when Heinz came over and whispered a few words in his ear.
"Right—I almost forgot about that!" Hans Back said, annoyed at himself.
"All right, you needn't panic. Don't look so dejected. You there, Aikaram, correct? Do you know of Laskampori—a small town at the far southern tip of Somalia?" Hans Back asked.
"Sir, do you mean a small coastal village to the east?" Aikaram asked uncertainly.
"Yes, that's it. Head south along the coastline for a few miles, and you'll find a trading market. If you want goods, go there!" Hans Back explained.
Aikaram still looked troubled. "But, sir, that would be a big detour—and I don't even know if they'd have what we need."
"There's no need to worry. Most products you'd find farther south are sold there as well, though I can't guarantee your medicinal herbs will be among them. But you could at least bring back some merchandise to recoup your costs," Hans Back said.
The Laskampori trading market, suffice to say, was much like the slave market in Dar es Salaam.
A "slave market" doesn't necessarily only handle slaves; it might also deal in ivory, sisal, or even Hechingen products nearing their expiration date…
Of course, the Laskampori trading market isn't a slave market—East Africa still practices something of a "chivalrous" policy. Back when they hammered the Sultanate of Zanzibar, Ernst had actually felt a bit guilty, so to appease them (and reduce their resistance to ceding territory), the colonial authorities granted Zanzibar a monopoly on the slave trade. Zanzibar is thus the sole dealer for slaves originating in East Africa.
It appears the Sultanate of Zanzibar is still quite satisfied with that arrangement.
"Besides, even if you keep heading south, you might never find those tribes and villages, so better head to Laskampori to trade," Hans Back hinted to Aikaram.
At this point, Aikaram finally understood the underlying message in Hans Back's remarks. The captain had earlier said it was questionable whether the southern tribes even existed anymore, then repeated it—wasn't that clearly implying they'd been wiped out?
Aikaram's heart went cold. The Hechingen people were evidently no pushovers. He had traveled extensively, from Liberia in North Africa to Damascus in the east, and had even been to parts of Kenya in the south. He'd witnessed all kinds of conflicts—Arabs against Westerners, Arabs against local tribes, tribe against tribe.
Now it seemed there was a new player in East Africa, and a strong one at that. Realizing he wouldn't complete this deal, he could only head to Laskampori, under the Hechingen sphere, and see if he could salvage something.
Laskampori was a transliterated name and a major stop for many trade routes. For a veteran merchant like Aikaram in this region, the mention of Laskampori told him exactly where to go, though the soldiers' pronunciation was somewhat "off."
"Thank you for the advice. We'll head east to Laskampori and try our luck," Aikaram said to Hans Back and his men.
"And try to stick to the northern side of the desert—try not to run into our people. The next patrol might not be as easygoing as I am. Understand?" Hans Back stressed.
"Thank you—thank you!" Aikaram said, sincerely grateful for this life-saving tip.
The two groups then parted ways. Worried about their safety, Aikaram and his men retreated far north, only then turning east to head for Laskampori.
Meanwhile, Hans Back and his team continued west, pressing on toward Difu (a local outpost).
…
Four days later.
"So this is the Laskampori Trading Market. It's bigger than I expected," Aikaram said.
The Laskampori Trading Market, established by the East African colonial government, lies not far south of the original village of Laskampori.
Aikaram noticed some Arab merchants already doing business there—merchants like him who had likewise been "persuaded" to come.
Management of the market rested with that "Hechingen" power. Their armed patrols wore outfits just like the ones Hans Back's party had worn the other day on the road.
The East African colonial government had prepared an array of local specialty products: ivory, cloves, woven sisal items, grain, and European manufactured goods.
After tying up his camels, Aikaram led his people into the marketplace.
"Hmm, this woven cloth is pretty good," Aikaram thought, holding a bolt of hemp cloth made in Tanga.
He tugged on the sample—quite sturdy. Good quality at a low price, it was likely to sell well among ordinary Somali folk.
Aikaram mainly admired the sisal cloth's durability and planned to use it to produce various household goods—carpets, containers, or decorative items—and maybe save on costs. The price wasn't bad.
The Laskampori Market mainly offered raw materials like unprocessed ivory, hides, sisal rope, hemp cloth, lumber, and grain. Aside from the ivory—also popular because of its high profits—most were items in demand in Somalia and North Africa.
Unfortunately, the Arab merchants at Laskampori were still few in number, and much of what they'd brought to trade was essentially worthless—like salt, a necessity for many natives.
As for East African salt, there were two main sources: salt fields built along the coastal areas after acquiring them, and imports from Germany—an important European salt exporter, especially via Hamburg. That supply solved East Africa's salt needs at decent quality.
Of course, Arab currency was acceptable here. But cheap trinkets meant to swindle natives didn't interest the East African colony.
Many Arab traders, on finding they had little to offer in return, could only stare at the goods in frustration, then go back to gather funds or whatever else East Africa would accept.
Aikaram, on the other hand, managed to buy a large quantity of cloth at a low price, intending to take it back for resale.
The Laskampori Trading Market was newly established, but it provided a commercial channel for southern Somalia. Many goods that once had to be shipped from North Africa (Egypt) could now be obtained right in Laskampori at cheaper prices, making it far easier for Arab merchants to profit from the price difference.
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